Head farrier joins College

Steve Kraus will join the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine as head farrier, effective November 1, 2010. He will continue the great work of Michael Wildenstein, who has been with Cornell since 1991, and has accepted an early retirement incentive offered by New York State.

Kraus specializes in troubleshooting under-performing horses around the Finger Lakes Region of Central New York. His client list includes hunter/jumpers, dressage and event horses, polo, endurance, western performance, Morgans, and driving horses. He is the recent past president of the Western New York Farriers Association and a member of the Board of Directors for Region # 5 of the American Farriers Association.

In the position, Kraus will assume responsibility for the work and teaching currently in progess and recruit students for the course that begins in January. His position will support patient needs within the Equine and Nemo Farm Animal Hospitals and the Farrier Shop, performing duties that include basic horse shoeing, corrective hoof trimming/shoeing, therapeutic methods, splint fabrication, and other relevant needs.

“My primary goals are to insure the continuity of the farrier program for the students (both current and incoming), as well as to meet the needs of the patients of the Cornell University Hospital for Animals,” said Kraus. “I also intend to bring more horses into the program, which will give the students an opportunity to practice what they’ve learned while serving horses whose hooves need attention. This combination will provide a great foundation of theory and practice.”

A graduate of the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences with a bachelor’s in Animal Science, Kraus is an American Farriers Association Certified Journeyman Farrier. He has shod many types and breeds of show and performance horses for more than 40 years. In addition, he has worked for Mustad Hoofcare since 1976 as their farrier consultant, representing the organization across the country at farrier and horse owner clinics and events, as well as testing and developing horse nails, horseshoes, farrier tools, and the hoof care products that Mustad produces and markets. Since 1968, Kraus has also been the farrier for all the equine programs in the Cornell University Athletic department, which includes the Cornell Polo Team, Equestrian Team, and Physical Education Riding Program.

An avid rider and polo player, Kraus owns and trains five polo horses at his farm in Trumansburg, N.Y. He plays outdoor polo during the summer and coaches and umpires for indoor polo at the Cornell Equestrian Center during the rest of the year.

“I’ve trained many apprentices over the years,” Steve said. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to teach at Cornell’s world-renowned Farrier School and helping horses by preventing or fixing lameness.”